Chapter Text
Admiral Steven Hackett stared down at the names on the readout screen.
Kazamira Shepard
--- Squad ambushed on Akuze, thresher maw, Sole Survivor. Arcturus medical wards. Condition- critical condition but odds are good for full physical recovery
Vasily Shepard
--- Biotic squad attacked on Elysium, Batarian slavers, seriously injured saving civilians. Med bay on board the Toronto - stable but leg bad.
Both are to receive the Star of Terra
He read the tiny lines that encapsulated so much. Hackett had read both the reports, several times, these postcard synopsis of the sacrifices both soldiers gave seemed like a slap in the face.
His eyes flicked back up to the "person you are contacting" paragraph.
Name Hana Shepard- Mother. Biochemist working on creating a food source viable for both levo and dextro based life in a joint research project between the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy.
He hadn't talked to Dr. Shepard in 20 years, not since she asked him not to- not face to face at least. Mostly emails once every so often. A call if it was very important… like the one 11 years ago. "the twins just enlisted I guess they're taking after their father." She had told him.
That was the last they had really spoken. There were several hundred servicemen and women with the last name Shepard in the Alliance Navy. He'd never tried to figure out which ones were the twins. Didn't need any subconscious bias in the mix. Not that he would have been able to pick them out of a crowd, he hadn't seen them since they were four and, at least back then neither looked like Hana or the man Hana claimed was their father. But now he knew. But it probably wouldn't matter. Kazamira was likely to have debilitating PTSD if she pulled through, and Vasily would likely never walk again.
He punched in the number without looking at the one provided. She picked up on the 2nd ring.
"Dr. Shepard here."
"Hey Hana its Steven. Listen I have some news-"
//
Vasily Shepard sat in the med bay of the Toronto , doing what little physical therapy he was allowed without moving his broken leg. But as soon as he knew the nurses wouldn’t be around for a bit he snatched up the crutches by this bed and started pacing with them, doing his best to work up a sweat.
“You sure you should be doing that son?”
Vasily spun on his good leg. “Admiral Hackett!” he saluted knowing he must look like some kind of flamingo.
“At ease Shepard, come sit we have some things to talk about.” Hackett said shaking his hand.
“Doctors say you might not walk again.”
“They’re wrong, I’ll be back in action in no time.” Vasily said sitting straight. “I won’t let some Batarians keep me down. And the break isn’t that bad.”
Hackett smiled. “I like the spunk kid, and for your actions on Elysium you are to receive the Star of Terra.”
Vasily balked. “Wha… really? I can’t believe it!”
“You did the Alliance more than proud.” Hackett said handing Vasily the box with his medal in it. “And with the biotics you displayed if you’re cleared for duty again we want you in the Special Forces Biotic Black Ops.”
Surprises coming fast and strong had rendered the young man almost incapable of speech. “Y-yes sir.” he managed to splutter out still reeling from the medal in his hand.
“Now I have some news about your sister.” Hackett said tone sobering.
Vasily winced. “What did she do?”
“Survived something she shouldn’t have been able to. You’re not the only Shepard getting Star.” Hackett said. “She and her squad were investigating a missing pioneer team on Akuze. Fifty marines went in. Their first night they were found by a nest of thresher maws. She was the only one who made it out alive. Spent 4 days limping back to the extraction point, bd internal bleeding, broken arm, ribs and, back. She’s in the med wards on Arcturus Station. Physically they think she’ll be fine.”
“Mentally?” he asked.
“I don’t know. When I called your mother to tell her about both of you they thought was neither of you would be able to return to active duty. I’m going to see her next.”
Vasily nodded. “Kazamira is strong… I wouldn’t count her down and out yet sir.”
//
On Arcturus Station, Hackett asked a cheery nurse to take him to see Kazamira Shepard.
"Miss Shepard you have a visitor." The nurse said opening the door.
Kazamira was standing at the window watching the stars.
"Miss Shepard you shouldn't be out of bed for so long."
"I have my braces on Nancy I'll be okay." She responded quietly. She turned. "Oh Admiral Hackett!" She awkwardly saluted him with her left arm.
"Hello Shepard, you okay to talk?"
"Yes sir!" She said.
When Kazamira sat it was stiffly. Her back kept parade ground straight from the braces for her back and ribs. Her right arm was in a sling.
But what worried Hackett was the dark circles under her eyes.
"Not sleeping Shepard?"
"Not very much sir." She said looking down at her hands. "Doctors say it's just a side effect from the antibiotics for the thresher acid…"
"But?" Hackett prompted hearing the pause.
"But I doubt I'd be sleeping any better if I wasn't on them."
"Nightmares?"
"Yes sir."
"How bad?" Hackett asked trying to get a glimpse of her mental state.
"I will return to duty, sir." She quipped as if reading his mind.
"That will be the doctors decision." Hackett said easing off the topic. "If you do you should think about doing N7 training. Anyone who can survive what you did will breeze through the N7 progam."
"I'll definitely think about it sir." She gave him a look that asked why he was there.
"Shepard for your perseverance in the face of what should have been insurmountable odds the Alliance has awarded you the Star of Terra."
Kazamira blinked at the Star in the box Hackett set on the table.
"I got lucky sir." Kazamira said making no move to take the medal. "It could have been any of us that made it back."
"But it was you." Hackett pointed out. "And not everyone could have made it back with the injuries you have."
Kazamira seemed to concede the point and picked it up. "Thank you sir." She mumbled.
"And you're not the only one. Your brother earned himself one as well. Saved some civilians from a Batarian attack." When Kazamira snapped her head up to look at him Hackett added reassuringly, "Messed his leg up but hes fine."
"If he wasn't raising hell he wouldn't be Vasily." She said with a hollow laugh. "And our mother always said we had an uncanny knack for matching without trying to."
//
3 months later with bones healed, the formal awards ceremony for the Shepards' Stars of Terra was held. The twins were very obviously more comfortable in their fatigues than in their dress blues but put on brave faces as the human Prime Minister regaled the group with the events that earned the two their Stars.
Captain David Anderson sat to Hackett's left. He leaned over and hissed to him "You knew their mother didn't ya?"
"Hana, yeah."
"Close with her?"
"Something like that… what are you getting at Anderson?" Hackett hissed back
"The twins are a dead ringer for you before you went grey. Hell I did a double take the first time I saw Vasily. Change the hair and he's you 25 years ago."
"Coincidence Anderson. Hanna's Russian I'm sure they got the blue eyed blonde hair look from her side. Their father was named Colin. He didn't stick around to long for them."
"You sure?" Anderson teased.
"Yeah that's what Hana said, I don't have a reason to not believe her." He said with a tone that meant the conversation was over.
But Anderson had a point. Later during the dinner Hackett pulled Hana off to the side.
"I got a question." He murmured to her. "Hana you said that rat bastard Colin is the twins' father… is that true?"
Hana stared at him hard for a moment. "Steven… if he isn't what good would it do anyone knowing now?"
"I'd say the truth is always worth knowing."
"I think if it were anyone other than Colin telling them after 25 years would be wrong. It's not like Colin was in their lives."
"Then tell me Hana… David Anderson made a damn good point earlier. Vasily looks just like I did when the twins were born." Hackett pressed. "Hana who is the twins father, really?"
Before Hana answered Kazamira waved her over to meet someone.
"I think you know the answer Steven."